Bed clothing support



July 28, 1953 c. s. EVANS 2,646,578

BED CLOTHING SUPPORT Filed Sept. 25, 1948 Patented July 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l 2,646,578 f BED CLOTHING SUPPORT Charles S. Evans, Atherton, Calif. Application September 2.5, 1948, Serial No. 51,195

My invention relates bed clothing in raised position at the foot of a bed; and one of the objects of the invention is the provision of means to prevent direct pressure Yof the clothing on the feet of an occupant. An-

' 6 Claims. (Cl. 5-319) to means for supporting other object is the provision of a foot rest at the'lower end of a bed. Still another object is the provision of a heated foot rest for winter or sick bed use. f

My invention has other objects and features of advantage, some of which,v with the foregoing/ 1 will be explained in the following descriptiony of that form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to this single of forms as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l i's an end View of my bed clothing support in erected position of use. Bed clothing, mattress and foot of embodiment, but may be included in a plurality occupant are indicated in dash lines; and Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the devicey in down position of disuse. The fabric cover is omitted in Figure 2 to simplify the View.

Figure 3 is a front view of one end of the erected structure, a part of which' is broken@ away to disclose the heating lamp. Y

Figure 4. is a plan view of the blank. out of which the main body of my device is formed.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one end of my device in upright position, but without the fabric,

cover or the insulatingliner or lamp.

" Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View of anfragment of my device, showing the spring latch. The scale is larger than that of Figure 1.

Nearly everyone lies on his back at least part n of the night, and many habituallysleep in that position. After certain operations, the patient must spend long hours on his back. Itis within the personal experience of many persons that the human foot has not kept pace in evolutionary development with the modern bed; and cannot be `f comfortable with the weight of even light bed covers pressing down upon the toes. Since the ankle and leg are quite limited in rotary motion about the long axis k0f the leg the entire body must be shifted to relieve the toes of apres'sure which becomes intolerable if long continued esf pecially to one who is sick or perhaps only restless. Light though persistant pressure on the toes causes restlessness and insomnia, usually with only a dim appreciation of the reason for Besides pressure kon the toesVchilly sheets and poor circulation in the extremities are a frequent cause of discomfort and sleeplessness. My invention contemplates means by which my device may be continuously heated, thus enhancing the purely creature comfort it bestows, as well as providing a therapeutic appliance of some slight value in the treatment of such disorders as the common cold, poor circulation in the eX- tremities and insomnia.

Broadly considered my device comprises ahollow substantially prismatically-shaped body, preferably triangular' in cross section, and hinged along one of its lateral edges to a flat base plate, which is anchored inposition by a hinged tab extending downwardly at the end of the mattress. The triangular` prismatically-shaped. body has one short sideand two unequal long sides. In

use, the device rests on the short side,`leaning backwardly towardthe foot of the bed as shown in Figure l. When not in use, the device may be turned forwardlyas shown in Figure 2, so that the lump is less noticeable in the unoccupied bed. The main body of the device is made from a single sheet as shown in Figure 4, creased laterally and folded into the hollow prismaticallyshaped body, base plate and anchor tab. The prismatically-shaped form is preferablyl held by a Shoestring laced through registered holes;

and a small electric globe is arranged within the body to provide a source of heat. A washable cloth slip or casing covers the front face of the rest, or it may be covered by an ordinary pillow case.

In greater detail my bed clothing support comprises a single sheet of hard fiber board preferably about 1A, or a little less in thickness, and divided by transverse parallel creases 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 into panels "I, 8, 9 and l0, and end tabs I l and I2. The rst of these creases, 2, is on one side of the rsheet and all the others are on the opposite side. Dimensions may vary over a considerable range, but for a single or twin bed the sheet may be about l5" wide X 30 long. Satisfactory results will follow when the anchor tab H is 5 wide, and the panels 1, 8, 9 and l0 are 4%., 8%", 61/2", and 4". wide respectively, and the fastening tab vI2 is 2 wide. Of course material, shape and dimensions are subject to wide variation from .theA preferred or most practical.

but two smaller ones spaced apart 12" to 14 are preferred.

Preferably end tabs I4 and I5 are left on the end edges of the large panel 8, and are separated therefrom by creases I6 and I1 respectively. These tabs are folded back as shown in Figure to provide a stiifening flange and a protective round edge at each end. The outer corners of the anchor tab I I are clipped as shown in Figures 4 and 5, or rounded, to facilitate the entry of the tab between the tucked-in bed covers I3 and I8 at the foot of the mattress I9 as shown in Figure l. Notches 20 are also preferably cut between the adjacent corners of the panels 8 and 9 as shown in Figures 4 and 5 to ease the break of the bed covering over the corners when the rest is erected. Groups of holes 2I and 22 are punched in the sheet, both in panel 8 and tab I2 near the long edges and in such position that the holes on each side will be in alignment when the sheet is folded up to form the hollow prismatically-shaped body required for use.

In folding up the sheet to form the hollow body, the creases 3, 4, 5 and 6 are left on the inside; and the underside of the tab I2 is laid flat against the panel 8 with the creases 6 and 'ci together. One half of a shoelace 23 is then passed through the registered holes on each side and tied, preferably on the inside of the hollow body. The lace fastening is preferred where the device is sold fiat, to be set up at home by the purchasers. For factory assembly, a heavy fiat staple may be applied at each end of the juxtaposed panels 8 and I2.

It will be observed that the sizes mentioned give a cross section of a scalene triangle, which is preferred because the overall height is low when the prismatically-shaped body rests on its widest side, and high when it rests on its narrowest side, at which time the body is leaning back against the pull of the bed clothing.

As so far explained, the rest is without heating means, and may be used, especially during the summer' months or in warm climates with no provision for heating.

'I'o prepare the device for use, an ordina-ry pillow case, or specially shaped cover 26 is slipped over the prismatically-shaped body, and secured :y snap fasteners 27, and the device placed in the bed between the sheets. Then with the tab II leading and the prismatically-shaped body resting on its long side as in Figure 2, it is pushed toward the foot, the tab being eased over the end of the mattress, so that the parts lie in the position shown in Figure 2. In this position of disuse, only a slight bump is noticeable in the dress of the bed-not enough to incur the displeasure of the most meticulous of housekeepers.

When the bed is occupied, the prismaticallyshaped body is readily raised by the foot and pushed back into the position shown in Figure 1, where the weight and natural pull of the bed covers keep it in place. When desired however, latch mea-ns are provided to retain the prismatically-shaped body in erect position. Such means may comprise a flat spring 28, shaped as shown in Figure 6 and fixed on the panel I by one or more rivets 29. A hole 30 is punched in the panel S to leave a short straight edge in the crease 5 bordering the panel I0; and a shoe 3| is clamped around this edge and held by the integral points 32 which penetrate the panel. When the prismatically-shaped body is raised to erect position, the shoe engages the resilient free end of the latch, which tends to retain it as in Figure 6 but which releases it when sufcient pressure is applied.

Preferably the prismatically-shaped body is provided with heating means so that the surface against which the feet rest can be warmed. A simple and satisfactory heating unit for the purpose is a 25-watt electric bulb 33, screwed into a socket 34, mounted on the bracket 35, fixed on the inside of the prismatically-shaped body, preferably on the narrow side or base. The socket is furnished with a flexible cord 36 for connection with a current source in the usual way.

A sheet 31 of heat insulating and fire resistant material lines the inside of the prismaticallyshaped body around the lamp, being preferably disposed along the rea-r and bottom surfaces as shown in Figure l. This concentrates the heat on the front panel where it is needed. Preferably this panel is perforated as shown to facilitate the flow of heat through it.

It will be observed that when in erect position as shown in Figure l, my device provides a surface sloping backwardly at an angle comfortable for the foot to lie against, and that the weight of the bed clothes tends to hold it in that position, while at the same time the clothes are supported out of annoying contact with the toes.

Since the substitution of a 10G-watt lamp for the intended 15 or 25-watt lamp would create a nre hazard, means are preferably provided for limiting the size of lamp globe which can be screwed into the socket. An effective and cheap means to accomplish this is the guard ring 4i, disposed as shown, on the same bracket 35 with the socket 34. The size of the hole in the ring is slightly larger than a low wattage lamp, but smaller than a E50-watt or higher wattage lamp. In addition, the spacing between ring and socket is sufficient to admit the low wattage lamps while excluding the longer higher wattage lamps, thus imposing a double limitation on the size of lamp used.

I claim:

l. A foot rest and bed clothing support comprising a base plate, a substantially prismaticallyshaped body hinged along one of its long sides to one edge of the base plate, and an anchor tab hinged to the opposite edge of the base plate.

2. A foot rest and bed clothing support comprising a base plate, a hollow substantially prismatically-shaped body hinged along one of its long sides to one edge of the base plate, an anchor tab hinged to the opposite edge of the base plate, and means in the prismatic body for mounting a heating element.

3. A foot rest and bed clothing support comprising a base plate, a body having a scalene triangular cross section and hinged along an edge of its narrowest side to one edge of the base plate, and an anchor tab hinged to the opposite edge of the base plate.

4. A foot rest and bed clothing support comprising a body having a narrow face and a wide face. a base plate hinged to the body at the juncture of the two faces, and means disposed on the body for heating one of the faces.

5. A foot rest and bed clothing support comprising a hollow body of sheet material and having a scalene triangular cross section, a 'nase plate to one edge of which the hollow body is hinged along an edge of the narrowest side, and means in the hollow body for mounting a heating element.

6. A foot rest and bed clothing support comprising a hollow body having rigid walls, a base Number plate on which the hollow body is mounted, a 1,404,461 bracket fixed on the inside of the hollow body, 1,452,915 a lamp socket at one end of the bracket, and 1,619,685 means at the other end for limiting the size of 5 2,160,443 the lamp insertable in said socket. 2,390,546

CHARLES S. EVANS.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 12180 Number Name Date 803,545 Boeck Nov. 7, 1905 Name Date Mendenhall Jan. 24, 1922 Kennedy Apr. 24, 1923 Updegrove et al Mar. 1, 1927 Schadell May 30, 1939 Matherl Dec. 11, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain of 1915 

